Girl With The Pink Hair
by DarkandtwistyGirl
Summary: Pre-series. Slightly AU. Meredith is fifteen, angry, lonely ...and pregnant. What will happen when Meredith's world crumbles around her? Can she rebuild it? Warning! teen pregnancy, sexual abuse, homelessness, attempted suicide, prostitution. *Complete*
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy, or any recognisable characters.**

**Sorry it's been so long since I've written any Grey's fics, hopefully this will make up for the wait!**

**Enjoy!**

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**Meredith's POV**

Hello, my name is Meredith Grey. I am fifteen, a freshman at The Center School, aka the only school that would take me after I got kicked out of Seattle Prep. I don't have friends, everyone at the school just thinks of me as the girl with the pink hair. I haven't even spoken to my mom in a week, she's never home, she always has to work. My dad left when I was just a kid, I don't even know where he is these days. My mother's boyfriend Richard Webber has been living with us for a couple of months, he seems nice enough, I even met his soon to be ex-wife one time. But none of that really matters as I am sitting on the bathroom floor today, the knife I slashed my wrists with lying on one side, the positive pregnancy test that lead me to do it on the other side.

There are tears rolling down my face unchecked, falling down onto my low-cut tight black top, and the blood slowly dripping down my arms, onto the floor, and the water from the tap I left on mixing with the blood on the floor.

You may wonder how the girl who no one talks to, who no one likes gets pregnant, after all, who would have sex with me? The answer, my tutor, the forty something year old man my mother hired when my grades dropped from As to Ds.

I knew it was wrong, I tried to stop him, but my petite 5'4 frame didn't stand a chance as he brutally violated me, three times a week for nearly six months until he was arrested after another girl, a girl in my algebra class spoke up about what he was doing to her. No one knows that he did it to me too, I told everyone nothing happened, no one can know, no one can ever know.

I'd been denying it for months, trying desperately to believe that it wasn't happening, but eventually I had to know for sure.

What the hell am I meant to do?! I can't do this! I can't! My head screams at me, and after a while, unable to cope with the pain, the shame, the fear, I go towards the medicine cabinet intending to take all of the pills that I know the cabinet holds, all kind of pills, pain killers, sleeping tablets, even the damn vitamins, anything I can get my hands on, but just as I reach the cabinet, weak and unsteady from blood loss, I stumble on the slippery floor and I fall unceremoniously to the ground, accidentally knocking the contents of the cabinet tumbling, striking my head on the vanity, and I know no more.

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Richard's POV

It's been a long day, I spent almost all day in meetings, I'm meant to be a surgeon, not a diplomat, but as it turns out that is what my new position as chief of surgery is all about.

I hang my coat and scarf up in the front hall, place my keys in the bowl, and wearily head towards the bathroom to have a shower, to wash off the day. Nothing could prepare me for the sight that greets me as I push the door open.

Meredith, my lover's troubled young daughter, lying on the tiled floor, her bright pink hair, bloodied by a gash in her hairline, spread out under her head like a grotesque halo. There are slashes covering her wrists, pill bottles scattered across the floor, and there is bloody water running slowly down the drain.

"Meredith!" I scream out in horror, dropping to my knees at her side. I check her pulse and breathing quickly, steady, she's just knocked out, but there's so much blood, everywhere I look there is blood.

I run to into the hallway, grab the phone, and start dialing 991 as I rush back to Meredith, but before I finish dialing, Meredith begins to stir. I drop the phone, and lean over Meredith, stroking her hair gently as her eyes slowly drift open.

"Richard?" Meredith whispers softly, weakly trying to raise a hand to her head, but it is clear that she is too weak, in too much pain.

I place a reassuring hand on Meredith's shoulder, stopping her from trying to sit up as I say. "It's okay, Meredith. Just stay still until I check you over, make sure you haven't done any serious damage."

Meredith relaxes under my touch, and without further delay I move my hands away from her. I then professionally begin checking her for injuries. I find several deep slashes running along both her arms, a small cut in her hairline, probably from hitting her head, but apart from that she seems alright, and so I gently put my arm behind her back as I help her sit up.

Then as I grab a couple of towels off the rack to put pressure on her arms, I worriedly ask her. "What happened, Meredith? Did you take anything?"

She shakes her head in response, no, but as she does so, her glance drifts towards the other side of the room, and as she whimpers miserably, I feel compelled to look for whatever has upset her. A pregnancy test.

_She's pregnant?! Aww, damn it!_ I think frustratedly before turning my full attention back to Meredith, comfortingly assuring her. "It's going to be alright, Meredith. I'll help you, I promise."

"No one can help; nothing's every going to be alright again." I hear Meredith whisper brokenly as I reach for the first aid kit, stowed away in the vanity.

As I pull her left arm towards me, to tend to the self inflicted wounds, I feel a pang of sympathy for this young girl sitting, propped against a wall, in front of me, hurting more than any child should.

"Do you want to go to the hospital?" I ask her, somewhat expecting her response, no. She pleads with me, and I know why, her mother, Ellis, love of my life, but an emotionally abusive parent is working this evening and would most certainly find out. I can't do that to Meredith, she doesn't deserve any more hurt.

Silently I clean each slash and dress them with gauze, they need sutures, same problem with the head wound, it can be patched up, but she needs sutures, and so as soon as I have dressed all the wounds, I gently tell Meredith. "Come on, sweetheart. We're going to have to go to a hospital, it doesn't have to be Seattle Grace, we'll just take you over to Mercy West ER, get them to patch you up, check that the, um baby didn't get hurt when you fell."

Meredith just nods weakly in agreement, and then I help her to her feet, and then I half carry her out to the car, placing her gently in the passenger seat before I climb into the driver's seat and pull out of the driveway, onto the road towards Mercy West.

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Meredith's POV

As I am sitting, half awake in the passenger seat of Richard's car as he is driving me to the hospital, I am unable to stop the thoughts from racing through my head.

_I'm pregnant!_

_Why is this happening to me?!_

_What the fuck have I done to deserve this?!_

_What's going to happen to me? ...And the baby?_

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**Thanks for reading! **

**Should I continue with this fic? Or not?**

**And if you've got any ideas of suggestions for this fic, feel free to put them in a review or PM.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy, or any recognisable characters.**

**Thanks for much for the wonderful reviews! It's always great to get feedback on my fics!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Meredith's POV**

When Richard parks the car outside the emergency department of Mercy West Hospital, I numbly unbuckle my seatbelt and swing open the car door before Richard reaches my side, and he then supports most of my weight as we walk towards the entrance doors.

How did my life get so fucked up?! I question myself silently as I watch Richard explain the situation to the triage nurse. When did my life become complicated enough to take this long to explain why I slashed my damn wrists?!

I was raped, by a man that my mother hired because she didn't have the time to help me with my schoolwork, and now I am pregnant with his baby, and the way I figure it, my mother will disown me as soon as she finds out, there's no way "The great Ellis Grey, surgeon extraordinaire" will even hear me out if she finds out about this.

And finally, after what feels like an eternity, the nurse opens a door, which Richard quickly guides me through. I am then helped onto a narrow, uncomfortable bed, and the nurse, who's name I don't even bother to remember, begins tenderly removing the dressings and examining each wound.

All the time I just wished she would leave me alone, but no such luck.

I don't even notice when she leaves, and returns a moment later with a young doctor in tow. The doctor introduces himself to me, but I only offer a mumbled greeting in response.

The doctor gently pulls my bloodied arms away from my chest so that he can examine them.

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Richard's POV

As I sit in the corner of the emergency department examination room, watching a young resident tending to Meredith's wounds, I can't help but wonder what happened in this girl's life that she could reach this point, where it seems easier to slash her wrists than live.

While the resident is tending to the cuts and her head wound, a technician comes in with an ultrasound machine, she quickly explains to me. "OB wants an ultrasound before they come down." Before she moves over to Meredith, and starts the ultrasound.

I silently move to Meredith's side as I see tears rolling down her too pale face, poor kid, she's scared to death, under all the make up and attitude, she's just a kid, and at this moment I would do any to take away her pain.

I stay by Meredith's side as they treat her, and then as the obstetrician talks to her, and once everything is done and I've convinced the resident that she doesn't need to be put on a pysch hold, we leave.

As we are riding home in the car, Meredith surprises me by saying, out of the blue. "I'm keeping the baby."

I pause for a moment, trying to think, and then I take one hand away from the wheel and gently give her shoulder a comforting squeeze as I say. "Okay."

"Please don't tell Mom."

"Wouldn't dream of it." I respond without hesitation, the last thing she needs right now is Ellis finding out. I then make the mistake of asking. "Who's the father? Are you planning to tell him?"

I realise my error as soon as I see Meredith stiffen and shut down beside me. Damn it.

**

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No POV

Over the next few weeks, Meredith debates with herself as to whether she made the right decision as she is almost crippled by morning sickness, which luckily no one is ever home to notice, even though it doesn't make her feel any better at the time.

And because she is so rarely able to even get to school, her grades are slipping.

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Things don't improve much from there over the next five months, up until this point Meredith has been lucky and her seven month pregnant stomach has been barely noticeable, but now it seems to be bigger every day, and one morning, inevitably Ellis notices. Being a doctor it is clear to her exactly what it is, and she doesn't even stop to question her daughter before she lunges at her. "You little slut. I give you everything and you go out and get yourself pregnant!"

Meredith barely even feels the slap she receives to the face, too consumed by shock. Once she recovers herself, and has positioned herself to protect her unborn child, Meredith snaps and screams at her mother. "It's your fault! That bastard you hired, he RAPED me, Mom!"

Before Meredith realises what is happening, she is thrown violently across the room and knocked to the floor. She puts a protective hand on her stomach, relieved to feel the baby kicking.

"Get out of my house!" Ellis shouts furiously at her terrified daughter, who not surprisingly takes off towards her room, and within a couple of minutes runs out the front door with no more than a backpack.

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**Meredith's POV**

As I run through the front door, it's all I can do not to run home and beg for forgiveness, hope that she'll let me stay. I know that she won't and I'd just be putting my baby in danger.

* * *

When I finally stop at a small park, where I tiredly sit down on the bench, it occurs to me. I'm homeless. I have no where to go. It would be so easy for me to lie down on the park bench and just give up, but I know that I have to keep going; I have to think of my baby, it deserves a chance, even if I don't.

I wearily stand up and wander over to the pay phone booth, luckily there is a phone book there. I quickly flick through to find the address of the nearest shelter, and wearily I start walking.

* * *

As I walk along a street that most would avoid, I don't even comprehend what is happening around me, all the horror, it's too much, I stick to my thoughts. What's going to happen? I guess schools over. Oh that's great, pregnant high school drop out, living in a shelter, sounds great. Might as well kill myself now ...No, got to look after the baby, that's all that matters now.

* * *

When I finally arrive at the shelter, St Mary's, an older woman approaches me straight away and in a soothing, gentle voice, she says. "Can I help you dear?"

"I need somewhere to stay, my Mom kicked me out. I'm pregnant." I tell her, biting back tears.

The woman moves closer to me, and says. "Sure. I'm Annie, what's your name sweetheart?"

"Meredith." I whisper, it doesn't feel like it fits any more, that girl isn't hear any more. Thinking fast, I offer her a nickname given to me by a friend I haven't seen in a long time. "Deth."

"Okay, come on. Let's get you something to eat and then find you a space. We've got a few younger girls here at the moment, a couple of babies too." Annie says kindly, instantly accepting me, making me feel safe.

* * *

I stay close to Annie for several hours, until she leads me towards another girl, I'd guess she's about my age, even though she looks much older. "Deth, this is Holly." Annie introduces us, she then says to Holly. "Deth is going to be staying with us."

Holly smiles welcomingly at me, and says. "Hi. Love your name, so cool."

I can't help but smile back at her, and within a minute we wander off together, instant friends. Maybe this won't be so bad.

* * *

Things go along relatively smoothly for the next few weeks, but then late one night, I am woken by an unbelievable pain in my belly, I quickly call out to Holly, who is in a bed next to mine. "Holly, help! Something's wrong!"

She is out of bed like a rocket and at my side. "What's wrong, Deth?"

"Hurts." I grind out, gripping my swollen stomach.

She quickly gets the hint, and stands up, saying. "I'll go get someone, hang on."

The paramedics arrive not long after, and I am quickly loaded into an ambulance and rushed towards the nearest hospital, Seattle Grace Hospital.

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**TBC...**

**So Meredith is going to be in the same building as her mother for the first time in months, how do you think that's going to go? And as if she didn't have enough to deal with, something is wrong with the baby. Maybe I should give her a break ...or not. *lol***

**Thanks for reading! Please take a minute to leave a review.**

**If you've got any ideas of suggestions for this fic, feel free to put them in a review or PM.**


	3. Chapter 3

****

**Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy, or any recognisable characters.**

**Thanks for much for the wonderful reviews! It's always great to get feedback on my fics!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Meredith's POV

Everything is a blur of pain and fear as the paramedics lift me out of the ambulance and rush me into the emergency department. There are a couple of doctors and at least five nurses around me, working quickly to attach monitors and do tests.

After some time, one of the doctors moves into my line of view and explains to me. "You're in premature labour, Deth. We're giving you medicine to try to stop it, but it isn't working yet. Looks like the little one might be making an appearance today."

But it's so early, the baby must still be so small, how's it going to survive. "Too early." I grind out in a panicked voice between contractions; they seem to be coming constantly now.

"We deliver babies at around thirty weeks all the time, it's going to be alright. Just hang in there okay." The doctor assures me, but I don't feel any better.

And just as I think it can't get any worse, I hear the voice of a person I haven't even seen in months, my mother. "You paged?" Obviously speaking to one of the doctors in the room.

There is a brief moment of silence, and despite the pain I can feel her looking at me.

And then as quick as she came, Ellis Grey is gone again, abandoning me again. I don't even try to stop the tears streaming down my face as another doctor leans over me as she says. "Hi honey, I'm Dr Leif. I need you to stay as calm as you can, okay?"

I nod weakly in understanding before she continues. "We've got to deliver your baby now. There're signs that the baby is in distress, so we have to do a caesarian to get it out. I know this is scary, but we have to do this, do I have your consent?"

"Okay." I say before the pain finally drags me under, as I lose my fight for consciousness, the last thing I hear is. "We're losing her."

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Richard's POV

It isn't long before word reaches me that Ellis's daughter has been brought into the ER, and as soon as I hear that, I call down to the ER, and a nurse there, unknowing of my relationship with her, tells me that Meredith has been rushed into surgery for an emergency c-section.

I hung he phone up without saying another word to the nurse, and ran down the seemingly endless hallways to the OR's, I reach the room just in time to see a humidicrib carrying a lifeless, pale newborn being rushed towards the NICU and the surgeon working frantically to stop a massive hemorrhage deep inside Meredith's too thin body, it seems impossible that she had been pregnant only minutes before.

I sit in the observation gallery until they finally finish the surgery and start preparing to move her to recovery. As soon as I see them moving, I rush down to the OR doors and meet the gurney. "Meredith." Her name escapes my lips almost unconsciously.

I keep up with the moving gurney, but it isn't until we reach the recovery unit, and I see that Meredith is being settled in that I turn to her surgeon, and ask her. "Is she going to be alright? What happened?"

Dr Leif is obviously surprised by my presence and interest in Meredith's wellbeing, but quickly answers. "She went into early labour, an ultrasound showed that she was abrupting, we had to do a c-section. The baby was deprived of oxygen for a short amount of time and wasn't breathing when he was born, he had to be intubated, but I just spoke to the neonatologist, who said that the baby's apparently doing well in the NICU, and they expect him to pull through."

"And Meredith?" I ask worriedly.

"It was touch and go for a while, the fact that she's malnourished didn't help at all. I did everything I could, but she went into DIC and the only way we could stop the bleeding was with a hysterectomy, but that aside she's doing well now and should recover."

"Thanks." I tell her gratefully, I then add. "I have to go, but tell her I'll be back later to check on her."

* * *

Several hours later, once I've told Ellis exactly what I think of her and what she's done to her only child, I am back at Meredith's side just as she wakes up from a rest.

"Richard?" She mumbles groggily, my heart aches as I watch her, life should never be this hard.

"Hey Meredith. How're you feeling?"

"Hurts. Is my baby alright?" Meredith asks worriedly, maternal instincts in overdrive.

I pause before telling her. "He's pretty sick, but the doctors reckon he'll be okay."

Meredith visibly sags with relief, and once she is resting again, I leave her.

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**Meredith's POV**

I'm still so tired, the nurses say that it's from the anesthetic, and it'll wear off soon, but it's hard to be alright with waiting, I just want to be with my baby, my son.

Hours later, when the nurses have finally conceded and are helping me into a wheelchair to go meet my baby, a familiar face comes through the door. "Hey Deth. You doing better?"

"Hey Holls. I'm okay, just about to go see my boy." I tell her, excitement clear in my voice.

"A boy, that's great, Deth." She replies before extending a backpack towards me. "I just brought your stuff here, you should be more careful, don't leave it around or you'll lose it."

I take the bag gratefully, I hadn't even thought of that that night. "Thanks, Holly. Do you want to come with me?"

She shakes her head slightly. "No thanks, Deth. Hospitals give me the creeps, I just wanted to bring that by and check that you were alright. I'll see you around." And then without another word she is gone, little did I know how we would meet again.

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Three days later, I am sitting beside my son's crib in the nursery, he's doing much better, off the ventilator and getting stronger every day. I hadn't dared name him while he was so sick, I couldn't get my hopes up that he might actually survive, but now the nurses are pushing me to name him, saying we'll be home in a few days.

And so as I watch him, staring mesmerized at a small mobile, a name suddenly pops into my head – Vincent. I try it out. "Vincent, Vincent Grey." He coos happily as I say it. "You like that baby? Okay, Vincent it is." But he still needs a middle name, but that isn't hard to choose. "What do you think, Vincent Richard Grey, I think it's perfect, baby?"

"I think so too." Richard says surprising me as he wraps his arms around me in an awkward hug. "I want to help you, Meredith."

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The next day my slowly improving world is once again shattered when I hear the nurses talking, the police have linked me to the rapist, and on instinct, knowing that I can't deal with talking to them, I grab Vincent from his crib, wrapping him in as many blankets as I can grab and I run away, only stopping to stuff as many baby supplies as I can into my backpack, and then even to my own surprise I steal a muffin and a bottle of coke from the café as I'm leaving. I know that I can't go back to the shelter, it's the first place they'll look for me.

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TBC...

**Thanks for reading! Please take a minute to leave a review.**

**If you've got any ideas of suggestions for this fic, feel free to put them in a review or PM.**


	4. Chapter 4

******Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy, or any recognisable characters.**

**Thanks for much for the wonderful reviews! It's always great to get feedback on my fics!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Meredith's POV**

I survive for the next six months only by sheer determination and luck, my meager supplies only lasted a couple of days and as much as I hate it, I have been forced to steal whatever I need, whatever Vincent needs.

Some days I just want to lie down in the alley where I sleep, and never wake up, but one look at my beautiful baby boy and I know that I can't do that, I have to keep going.

And so here I am, balancing my infant son on my emaciated frame, standing outside a dirty nightclub that is so much more than that. I met another girl my age a few days ago, and she told me that the owner of this place would pay her well for providing her "talents" and "services" to his patrons.

I never thought things would get to this point, I mean, I'm the daughter of one of the best surgeons in the country, a pioneer in her field, but I was never going to be enough for her. Forget her. I just have to get through this.

I pull the tiny scrap of fabric they call a shirt down a bit lower, and without giving myself a chance to reconsider this, I walk through the doors, and into my new life, as a prostitute.

The owner is a disgusting man that reminds me of my rapist, but I force down the urge to run as he explains to me that in return for my services, every night, dusk to dawn, he would pay me a wage that, well frankly having been scavenging for enough to survive for months, it made my eyes bulge out of my skull. I'd be able to rent somewhere, take care of Vincent, maybe even start saving so that I can get out of this life.

He then points me towards a back room, saying that the 'girls' will help me find my way around until I get into the routine, he promises that he takes care of us, I don't believe him for a second, but I gratefully say thank you and promise him that I'll do the best I can here.

* * *

As I enter the back room I am nearly knocked down by the smell, cheap perfume, cigarettes, and cheaper liquor, but I force this feeling down too as I walk over to the nearest girl and tap her on the shoulder. "Hey, I'm new here, the boss told me I should come back here."

The girl turns around to face me, and I couldn't be more shocked. "Holly? What're you doing here?"

"I could say the same." She quips, turning her attention to Vincent. "He's gotten so big, how old is he now?"

"Six months." I reply proudly, stroking his downy hair. "So what do I need to do, Jack said I start tonight."

Holly sighs, and in a hushed tone she asks. "Are you sure you want to do this, Deth?"

I glance down at my son, and then tell her. "I don't have a choice."

"Okay." Holly says with a sad smile before she starts to explain things to me, and introduce me to the other girls, who all offer to keep an eye out for Vincent when I have to leave him in the back room, apparently I'm not the first to bring a kid with me.

* * *

Within a week I have enough money to rent a small apartment; it's in one of the worst parts of town, not far from work, but it is the best I can do right now, and after living in shelters and on the streets for over a year, it seems like a palace. I place of my own, mine and Vincent's, where I can start to make a life for me and Vincent, a safe life.

It doesn't have much furniture, just a fridge and an old mattress, I promise my self that furniture is the next thing I'll get, that mattress has to go; it's better than anything I had on the streets, but it is repulsive and I would rather sleep on the floor.

* * *

For five years, me and Vincent stay living in the apartment, Vincent has a small place to sleep in the back room of the club, it's all he really knows. But now he's starting school, and things are looking up, I've saved away a few thousand dollars and I'm determined that once I've got my days to myself I am going to go back to school, find a way for us to get out of this life.

I put on the nicest clothes I own, just a pair of un-ripped jeans and a newer top, and I dutifully walk Vincent to school and hang around socializing with the forty something year old parents of the other kids, before I slip away and jog to a nearby community college.

It isn't hard to find my way to an information desk, where I ask the woman working there. "Hi, I'm looking into finishing my high school diploma."

The woman looks up at me, and starts to explain everything to me.

Within an hour I am signed up to start next week.

* * *

If I ever thought that juggling 'work', a five year old, and study would be easy, I was sadly mistaken, within weeks I'm exhausted and I just want to quit, give up and accept what my life will always be.

But just as I am about to pick up the phone to call the college and say I quit, there is a knock on the door. I sigh tiredly as I pull myself to my feet, and I make my way over to the door, I check the peephole before I open the door, it's just Vincent along with one of the kids from his class and the kids mother. "Hey." I greet them warmly, laughing as Vincent slips past me into the apartment. I turn to the mother, Grace, she looks uncomfortable being here to say the least. "Thanks for this, Grace, really, it's a big help. I've been trying to study and I just lost track of time."

She smiles at me falsely, it couldn't be clearer that she wants to get away from this place just as much as I do as she says. "No worries, Meredith, I'll probably see you around."

"Yeah, see you." I reply as she turns to leave, and I close the door and secure the locks before I go in search of my boy.

* * *

Several weeks later I get to work just before I have to start, and am surprised not to see Holly anywhere in the room. I call out to one of the other girls "Where's Holls?"

The girl, Sarah stands up and walks over to me, while one of the other girls calls Vincent over to her. "Holly died today, the cops were around earlier, she overdosed. I'm sorry, Deth."

I can't breathe, I can't think, I am vaguely aware of being guided to the floor as I burst into hysterically sobs. I'm alone again, my only friend in the world is dead, and I can't help but wish it had been me.

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**TBC...**

**Thanks for reading! Please take a minute to leave a review.**

**If you've got any ideas of suggestions for this fic, feel free to put them in a review or PM.**

**(Sorry about the formatting, site's being a piece of *Y%#!)**


	5. Chapter 5

******Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy, or any recognisable characters.**

**Thanks for much for the wonderful reviews! It's always great to get feedback on my fics!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Meredith's POV**

A year later, though I'm not quite sure how I pulled it off, I have graduated from the community college with my GED, and I've been offered a place in an undergraduate program at University of Washington.

It's been a hell of a year though, I came so close to following in Holly's footsteps, after her death it seemed like there were drugs everywhere, it would've been so easy, but I just had to keep going, my son deserves so much more than this life.

But even as I spend my days looking after my son, and studying and hanging out at U of W, I still spend every night at the club, doing what I do so well now, I've had so much practice.

* * *

Four years later, several days after my twenty-sixth birthday, I have just picked Vincent up from school, and am getting dinner ready, when the doorbell rings. "Coming." I call out as I stop what I am doing, and make my way towards the front door.

I open the door to find a delivery man on my doorstep, he offers me some kind of greeting, and hands me a package before he walks back towards his van.

Curiously I start peeling open the large envelope, and as I sit down at the dining table, I pull out the contents. It's a certificate, my graduation certificate... I've finished my degree, it's bittersweet to receive it though, I couldn't go to the graduation like the rest of my class, I had to work.

I nearly miss the smaller envelope that fell out of the envelope along with the certificate, but it catches my eye, and I put down the certificate, and pick up the envelope. I rip it open quickly and unfold the letter it holds.

As I scan over the letter, my jaw drops, I'd applied to the U of W school of medicine, I never thought I'd get in, but there it is, plain as day, I have been offered a place.

"Oh my god." I murmur in disbelief, this is unbelievable, I guess I thought that since I got pregnant I'd never get the life I wanted, but maybe, just maybe if I can get through med school, residency, then I can get away from working at the club.

If I was earning a doctor's salary, I could afford a better place for me and Vincent, somewhere safe, away from the crime and violence he is being exposed to everyday.

Without wasting another second, I grab a pen, and I start filling out the acceptance forms as quickly as I can, my mind racing with possibilities.

* * *

I start med school several months later, and though it is lonely and tough as hell, competing with the other students who've never had to do a real day's work in their lives, I push through, determined to finish, I just have to.

* * *

But it all pays off three years later, when I finish med school, and this time I can actually go to the graduation, only because it's in the afternoon, I can watch my son's face light up as he watches me collect my diploma, he sadly knows exactly how hard this journey has been. As soon as the ceremony is over, I go back to Vincent, and pull him into a hug.

"You did it, Mom." Vincent says; though he is a teenager now, he is still thankfully very close to me, and doesn't have a problem returning my hug warmly.

We stand there, in the middle of the crowded auditorium for quite a while before I pull away gently, and tell Vincent. "How 'bout we go get some pizza before I've got to go to work, Vince?"

"Okay." Vincent agrees quickly, I know he knows that pizza is a rare treat, given our finances.

And so, together we walk out of the auditorium, and we quickly make our way onto the bus.

* * *

Two weeks later, just days before I am due to start my internship at Seattle Grace Hospital, I arrive at work early, and with determination, I go into the building, praying that it will be my last time.

Before I can talk myself out of it, I walk into my boss' office. As soon as Jack looks up and sees me, he greets me. "Deth. What can I do for you?"

I pause, gulping slightly before I tell him. "I'm starting my internship next week, and with the hours I'll be working..."

"You can't work here anymore, right?" Jack says, they all leave eventually anyway, and it won't hurt to have a doctor who knows the hazards of the job and so he can send people to without fear of getting reported.

I nod slowly, cautiously. Though I've never been on his bad side, I have heard rumours that he can be dangerous.

Much to my surprise, Jack leans forward and reaches out to shake my hand, I extend my own hand to shake his as he says. "It's been good having you here, Deth. If I ever need surgery or something, you better be available."

In spite of myself, I laugh, just I quick laugh, almost a reflex, before I agree. "Yeah, anytime." I pause a moment before gratefully telling him. "Me and Vince, we would've survived if it wasn't for you, I just, I just wanted to tell you, tell you that I really appreciate it and yeah, thanks."

"It's okay." Jack says, and then adds. "Now go get ready, I'll see you out there in a few minutes."

* * *

I start my internship the next week, after having taken Vincent on a brief holiday, just camping a couple of hours away, but it was nice. I go to the 'meet and greet' mixer along with all my fellow interns, and stay up well into the night, nothing new for me there.

* * *

The next morning I start work, and I am assigned to a resident, along with several other interns, we approach her nervously, everyone else is keen to make a good impression, I just want to get through the day and go home to my boy. It is playing the back of my mind that my mother and Richard are probably still around here somewhere.

The resident cheerfully greets us. "Hello everyone, I'm Dr Stevens."

She goes through a quick introductory spiel, which surprisingly includes her recent cancer battle, I think the only reason she mentioned it was to explain the lesser number of interns in our group, compared to others. After listening to all kinds of rules and such, and then going on a tour of the hospital, which feels like a well practiced routine, Dr Stevens, Izzie, sends us, me and the other interns to do various menial tasks.

* * *

It isn't long before Richard finds out that I'm working at Seattle Grace, and when he does, he pulls me out of rounds, and leads me into his office, where we sit down before he asks me. "It's been a long time, Meredith. How're you going?"

"It has." I agree before answering his question. "I'm doing really well, I got in here after all."

Unfortunately it isn't very long before Richard starts asking what happened to me while I was missing, and I feel obliged to tell him, watching as his expression turn to one of horror as I tell him even jus the outline of what I'd done.

Keen to draw the attention away from myself, I ask him about Mom, and he sadly informs me that she is in a nursing home, alzheimers, and on top of that her health is failing.

* * *

Eventually our conversation is over, and I rejoin the other interns, one of them asks me why the chief was talking to me, and not even caring about their reactions, I say. "He's my step dad; he saved my life a long time ago."

* * *

Three months later, I finally have saved enough to afford to move me and Vincent out of our old apartment, into a new apartment, just a few minutes walk from the hospital, it's perfect and Vincent loves his new room, it's so much bigger than his old room, the first weekend off I have, we paint his room together.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Thanks for reading! Please take a moment to leave a review.**

**If you've got any ideas of suggestions for this fic, feel free to put them in a review or PM.**


	6. Chapter 6

******Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy, or any recognisable characters.**

**Thanks for much for the wonderful reviews! It's always great to get feedback on my fics!**

**OMG I'm so sorry everyone, I completely let updates on this fic slip, sorry! I'm wrapping this fic up now, it'll probably only be one or two more chapters long.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Meredith's POV**

Things have been going well for the past few months, I've even started going out with the other interns sometimes, but then one day I wake up to find Vincent sick, it's obvious that he's too sick to go to school, but I figure he should be alright to go to with me to work, sit in the locker room until my shift is over. Mistake.

Within minutes of arriving one of the other interns comes over to me, and asks. "Who's the kid, Grey?"

Stupidly I reply. "He's my son."

The conversation pretty much goes downhill from there, before I notice what I am doing, I tell the other intern, Leone that I am a young, single mom, who struggles to keep a roof over our heads, and worst of all, I tell her the extent I have gone to to pay the bills.

* * *

It doesn't take long for the details of our conversation to be spread around the hospital, and not long after that, I find myself being frozen out completely, not getting into surgeries, no one talking to me, generally being treated like I don't exist.

* * *

It is over a month later, when one of the other interns in my group, Kieran Phillips finally ends the freeze out, or at least his involvement in it. I have been getting slammed all week, to the point where I'm barely getting home to see Vincent, and one day he comes over to me and casually offers some assistance, which I gratefully accept.

* * *

Several weeks later, Kieran and I are supposed to be going out for dinner, but as the evening rolls around I am feeling so sick that when the doorbell rings, I am unable to pull myself up off the bathroom floor to answer it.

But Vincent must've answered it, because a moment later, Kieran is at my side, worriedly checking my vitals, and asking me questions like "Do you know what's wrong?" and "How long have you been feeling like this?"

To which I can only mumble vague replies, and probably because of that he hastily scoops me up in his arms and carries me out of the bathroom, only pausing to get Vincent to follow us.

Within minutes we arrive at Settle Grace emergency department, where Kieran sees to it that I am taken straight back, and started on IV fluids to treat dehydration, before he orders a long list of blood tests.

All the while that the nurse is tending to me, I can feel Kieran's hand on my forehead, gently rubbing it comfortingly, it feels so good not to be alone, to have someone there who cares.

**

* * *

**

Kieran's POV

We have been sitting in the emergency department for several hours when an attending finally approaches me while I am out at the coffee machine. "Dr Phillips, can I talk to you a moment?"

It seems benign enough, and I follow the doctor over to a small seating area. Once we are seated, he introduces himself as Dr Madden from immunology before he asks me. "You brought Meredith Grey in this evening, didn't you?"

"Yeah, we're dating. I went around to her place to pick her up, and she was sick, so I brought her in. You're here, so I'm guessing the tests showed something."

The pause before the doctor speaks again makes me instantly nervous, and as it turns out it is with good cause. "The blood tests show that she has a CD4 count of three hundred and eighty. We've run more tests to confirm …She has HIV."

I am silent for a minute, trying to digest the news, and finally, drawing on my medical knowledge, I ask the doctor. "What's her prognosis? Are you going to start her on meds?"

Dr Madden then informs me, much to my relief. "I'll start her on the triple cocktail, and if that is effective, she could have years before the disease progresses."

* * *

Telling Meredith the news goes by in a blur, she seems numb. And all I want to do is make this all go away, she's worked so hard to get her life together, anyone who sees her knows that, and now this could destroy her.

* * *

**Meredith's POV**

I have HIV, I can't believe this is happening! I should've been more careful, but I never thought this would happen. How could I be so stupid?! I've got to be able to look after Vincent.

* * *

Hours after telling me, and leaving, Kieran comes into my hospital room to see me; it's good to see him, but part of me knows that we have to end our relationship; I can't risk giving this to him.

He greets me warmly, but I can barely muster a smile in response as he sits down beside me on the bed.

"How're you feeling, Mere?" Kieran asks me compassionately, leaning close to me, and running a hand through my tousled hair.

"Fine." I reply naturally, after so many years of lying about practically everything it comes easily to me. There is a brief silence before I glance up at the clock, and then reluctantly ask him. "Vince needs to be picked up from school, I wouldn't even ask, but-"

"It's no problem." Kieran says much to my surprise before he asks. "When and where?"

"South Seattle Middle School, he finishes at three thirty. Are you sure it's not a problem?"

"Positive. I'll take him out for a while, take him to see a movie or something, let you get some rest." Kieran assures me with genuine kindness in his voice, it is still hard to believe that he actually cares about me, that anyone could. It makes what I am about to say even harder. "Kieran, I… I love you, I love you so much, but that's why I've got to do this, I can't risk you getting sick."

"Do what?" Kieran asks me, bemused. This must be so out of the blue for him, but for me it is an obvious move.

I take a breath, steeling myself against the heartache I feel as I tell him. "We can't be together any more, Kier. There's too big of a risk, I can't ask you to stay."

"Who's asking me to stay, Mere? I love you, and I'm not letting you go that easily. We're going to get through this, together." Kieran says firmly as he places a gentle kiss on my cheek.

I briefly try to argue with him, but he won't hear it, he's determined not to let this break us up. And eventually after another, longer, more romantic kiss, Kieran stands up and walks out of the room, so that he can go pick up Vincent.

* * *

Late that night, Kieran stops by my hospital room, he's wearing his scrubs, so I figure he's on duty, probably on a break. He greets me lovingly, before out of the blue, he asks me. "Can I just ask you, Mere, how'd you get into it, everything you used to do?" It is clear that he instantly was regretting the words that just left his mouth. He's no doubt on some kind of guilt trip like _My girlfriend is in hospital, and I go and question her about her dark past. How could I be so stupid?!_ "I'm sorry, Mere, please, forget I ever asked, you don't need to tell-"

I cut him off before he can finish his sentence by saying. "I do, I need to tell you. You're the only person apart from Richard who's been so much as decent to me since they found out."

There is an almost palpable silence before I begin telling him an abridged version of my life story, I've been so numbed by the horror that I have seen that my voice doesn't even break at all. "When I was fifteen my mom hired a tutor for me, for six months, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday he'd come to the house, mom would be at work, he raped me. It only stopped because he was doing it to another girl, and she told the police. A few months later Mom kicked me out when she found out that I was pregnant, and it was all down hill from there… I lived in a shelter, but then I couldn't, I was living on the streets, with Vincent, he was just a baby, I was lying and cheating and stealing just to keep us alive when this girl told me about this club where I could make some easy money, I was desperate. It wasn't so bad, I just kind of became numb to everything, whatever the guys wanted, I'd do, they paid more to fuck me without any protection, I wasn't going to get pregnant, and I needed the money."

I pause for a moment, glancing over at Kieran, who is sitting beside me, frozen, stunned into silence, clearly trying to absorb what I am telling him.

After a moment I continue. "It went on like that until Vince started school, the day I dropped him off there I went over to the college, and signed up to finish my High School Diploma. But just when things were getting better, my best friend, Holly, she overdosed, I came so close to ending up the same way, Kier, but I had to look after Vince. That was seven years ago, I was working at the club until I started my internship."

We sit there is an awkward silence for several more minutes before Kieran seems to break out of his daze, softly telling me. "Oh my god, Mere, I had no idea."

* * *

**TBC...**

**Thanks for reading! Please take a moment to leave a review.**


	7. Epilogue

******Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy, or any recognisable characters.**

**Thank you so much to my one and only reviewer on the last chapter! It was greatly appreciated.**

**Last chapter, and a very rushed one at that.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**No POV**

Four and a half years later

Meredith has just finished a ten hour long surgery when she is met by Richard outside the OR, he is obviously happy as he tells her. "I just found out about the chief residency …you got it, Mere."

* * *

And then just a week later, in a complete contrast Richard once again approaches Meredith, and gently pulls her to the side of the hallway as he softly tells her. "Your mother passed away last night, Meredith. I'm sorry." He pauses momentarily before adding. "The funeral is being planned for Thursday."

"I'll be there." Meredith replies shortly, no hint of sadness in her voice, her mother has caused her nothing but hurt, and she can't really feel any pain over her death. "I'm sorry, Richard, but I've got to get back to work."

He just nods in understanding, and watches Meredith walk away.

* * *

The funeral goes as most do, the only difference being that Meredith, didn't shed a single tear. And then several weeks later, Kieran surprises Meredith with a dinner at one of Seattle's best restaurants. And as they are waiting for their desserts, he surprises her when he gets out of his seat, and kneels down on one knee as he takes a small jewellery box out of his jacket and shows Meredith the small, but elegant diamond ring inside. "There aren't words to describe how I feel about you Meredith, nothing can ever come close to explaining how much I love and need you. And what I'm trying to ask is… Meredith Grey, will you marry me?"

Meredith jumps out of her seat, and flings her arms around Kieran.

"Is that a yes?" Kieran asks jokingly, drawing his long time girlfriend further into the embrace.

"Yes, of course, yes." Meredith replies, pulling back just far enough to kiss him as cheers and applause break out around them.

* * *

At the start of Meredith shift the next morning, she stops by Richard's office, she taps on the door before entering, and upon finding the chief alone doing paperwork, she tells him. "Kieran proposed last night. I'm getting married, Richard."

Richard quickly closes the distance between them, and pulls his step daughter into a congratulatory hug. "That's great Mere, that's really great. Congratulations."

There is a brief pause before Meredith, who is now standing in front of Richard, tells him. "You know you're the closest thing to a father I've ever had, right?"

Richard appears shocked, but nods as he continues to listen to what she is saying.

"I want you to be the one walking me down the aisle."

"Nothing would make me happier, Meredith." Richard replies as he once again finds himself in a warm embrace.

* * *

The wedding planning, and life in general go smoothly until six days before the wedding, when Meredith starts feeling sick. The first thought that comes into her mind as she wakes up to a fever and a sore throat to match is _Oh no, please don't let it be AIDS. Not now, I've finally got my life sorted out, why does my damn past have to keep coming back._

* * *

Within an hour Meredith has dropped Vincent off at school, and has gone to the hospital, where she quickly sought out Dr Madden, who agrees to see his panicked patient immediately.

Dr Madden arranges for her to have numerous tests, and several hours later they are sitting in his office when he tells Meredith. "You're fine, all your levels are almost undetectable. You just need to go a bit easier on yourself, get some more sleep."

* * *

The wedding goes to plan, and six days later, as Richard walks Meredith down the aisle, he leans towards her, and whispers to her. "You've come a long way from that pink haired girl I met all those years ago, Mere."

* * *

**The End.**

**Sorry it was so rushed, but there's been so little response to this, and I honestly just wanted it out of the way so I could work more on my Supernatural fics.**

**Than****ks for reading! Please take a moment to leave one last review.**


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